The Best Gifts for Gamers, From Retro Handhelds to Gear Upgrades
Whether they mash buttons on Nintendo, Steam, PS5 or Xbox, these presents will earn you cool points.
By Nicole Charky-Chami, Rudie Obias
December 14, 2023 2:27pm
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Casual button mashers and future e-sports players alike will appreciate an upgraded gaming experience. Whether they play Starfield, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingom, Minecraft or Roblox (or any of the thousands of other games out there) on a desktop, laptop or tablet, help your favorite gamer improve their setup with a new headset, keyboard, mouse, chair and other accessories that’ll add extra comfort and style to their setup — not to mention help boost their screen quality and speed.
From nostalgic devices to the latest consoles for those who’ve been on the Extra Nice List, we’ve rounded up the best gifts for gamers below. Looking for more options? Check out more from The Hollywood Reporter‘s holiday gift guides, including treats for techies.
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1. Nintendo Switch OLED: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Bundle
Nintendo
Walmart has the Nintendo Switch OLED: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate bundle priced at $349. It comes the OLED model of the console with a sharper and larger seven-inch display, two gray Joy-Con controllers, a digital download of the game (a $60 value) and a free three-month membership for Nintendo Switch Online (an $8 value). Altogether, you’re saving $69 when you get this bundle, compared to getting each one individually.
$349
2. Meta Quest 3 VR Headset
Meta/Best Buy
The Meta Quest 3 headset will certainly deliver in the entertainment department. The virtual reality device is lighter and more comfortable to wear than its predecessor, and the two haptic feedback-touch controllers, speedy Snapdragon XR2 (Gen 2) processor, higher-resolution 2064 x 2208 pixel-per-eye screen, and stunning cinematic sound all combine to deliver more realistic graphics that bring games and content to life in the Metaverse.
3. Asus ROG Ally
Asus
The Asus ROG Ally is a handheld gaming PC that’s surprisingly lightweight with a premium feel in the hand. This thing is a beast with an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Processor, 7-inch touchscreen display and 16GB of memory paired with up to 2TB of on-board storage (expandable with microSD card).
It even runs the full version of Windows 11 for multiple gaming platforms, such as Steam, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Epic, RetroArch and much more. Now you can play just about anything on-the-go.
4. SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Gaming Headset
SteelSeries
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is a series gaming headset. It has premium audio quality that’s crisp and full, while its 360-degree spatial audio and noise-cancellation settings gives gamers an immersive experience. This is a pro-level gaming headset with the ability to connect to a PC and a gaming console like the Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch at the same time via its included base station.
$249.99 $379.99 34% off
5. Xbox Series S Starter Bundle
Microsoft
The Xbox Series S Starter Bundle comes with the digital-only version of the console itself, a white Xbox Wireless Controller and a three-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (a $51 value) for online multiplayer, game download access and cloud gaming.
$249.99 $299.99 17% off
6. Homall Gaming Chair
Courtesy of Amazon
The Homall Gaming Chair looks sleek with its monochrome leather design, lumbar support and an ergonomic adjustable swivel. It also has a headrest, which is perfect for adjusting posture while playing computer games, watching shows, working or simply resting. It’s got style and function, plus it’s on sale for 30 percent off on Amazon for a limited time, bringing the price to under $100.
7. Redragon S101 Wired RGB Backlit Gaming Keyboard and Mouse
Courtesy of Amazon
Upgrade their PC gaming station with Redragon’s S101 wired gaming keyboard and mouse combo, which feature ergonomic and backlit designs suited for those long hours. The keyboard has seven RGB light modes and effects, four brightness levels and adjustable breathing speed, while the extremely responsive mouse can be adjusted from 800 to 3200 DPI and has six buttons (five can be programmed).
$39.99
8. “I Paused My Game to Be Here” T-Shirt
Courtesy of Amazon
Not all of the best gifts for gamers are high-tech gear. Button mashers will find humor in this “I Paused My Game to Be Here” unisex shirt, which comes in three colors and is made in the U.S. from a comfy cotton and polyester blend.
9. Dark Matter by Monoprice 27-Inch Gaming Monitor
Monoprice
Monoprice’s Dark Matter 27-inch gaming monitor has incredible color performance and speed. It offers vibrant 1920x1080p resolution and a refresh rate of 165Hz, with a 16:9 aspect ratio and AHVA panel that provides incredible viewing angles. It also offers two HDMI connections and a USB Type‑C video input.
$144.99 $199.99 28% off
10. PacMan Ghost Light Table Lamp
Courtesy of Amazon
Every PacMan player has dreamt of chasing those little white pellets and running away from pesky ghosts — and they can keep Blinky, Inky, Pinky and Clyde by their bedside or gaming room table with this playful color-changing light. The eight-inch lamp has 16 hues that change with the beat of your music.
11. Viture One XR Glasses
Amazon
12. Logitech G Pro X Gaming Headset
This surround-sound Logitech G Pro X Gaming Headset is a great gift for the gamer who wants durable, noise-canceling headphones. It offers positional, distance and object awareness during gameplay so wearers feel immersed in the gaming experience.
$229.99 $279.99 18% off
13. Mackie CR StealthBar Desktop PC Soundbar with Bluetooth
Courtesy of Mackie
Give the gift of great sound with Mackie’s CR StealthBar desktop PC soundbar. The compact Bluetooth speaker fits under most computer monitors and is equipped with the audio brand’s stellar acoustic design and tuning. This soundbar gives your gamer crystal-clear, punchy sound, ideal for gaming, music production and content creation.
$49.99 $84.99 41% off
14. Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition
Courtesy of Walmart
Want to give the gift of nostalgia? Check out Nintendo’s NES Classic Edition and transport back to the 1980s. It comes with no hassle and incredible style — the original look and vibe, only smaller and sleeker (and no need to blow on cartridges). It even comes preloaded with 30 classic games, including Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Pac Man, Dr. Mario, Mega Man, Final Fantasy and more.
$230 $282 18% off
15. WD_Black P10 2 TB Portable External Hard Drive
Courtesy of Amazon
GPU upgrades are hard to come by these days, thanks to a rise in pandemic gaming and delays in production and shipping. The next best thing might just be a portable external hard drive, like Western Digital’s WD_Black P10 HD that’s available in storage options ranging from 1 GB to 5 TB. Though it won’t make their computer faster (a new graphics card or more memory will do that), it’ll help free up space and improve loading speeds on their computer, Xbox or PlayStation 4 or 5, while giving them extra room for new games (or for keeping old ones).
16. Retroid Pocket 2S Handheld Retro Gaming System
Retroid
Retroid’s Pocket 2S handheld emulator is a great throwback and an upgrade for any gamer interested in a new take on a classic. It comes in indigo, retro, orange and blue, and has an HDMI connection so gamers can easily connect to your screen or take your favorite games on the go.
17. Couchmaster Cycon² Black Edition: Couch Gaming Desk
Couchmaster
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